Keep Tryin'
by Co-junction
Summary: ShounenAi! Poor Richard, will Mueller ever realise how much he loves him? Or will someone kick them into their senses?
1. Chapter 1: Keep Tryin'

**Keep Tryin'**

All Characters are owned by Konami. I own nothing absolutely NOTHING at all and I do not hope to gain any profit from this. Set in an Alternate Universe…Sort of. All track titles from the album "ULTRA BLUE" are not owned by me too.

_Thoughts_

"Speech"

**Chapter 1: Keep Tryin'**

_That day was the first day of my life. For as long as I remembered, my father told me to train very hard to become a soldier. Not a single day went by without sweat and hard work. I didn't know anything else or any other life outside training to become what I knew little of. The other kids called me a demon. I fought hard to prove myself to Father, till Mueller came into my otherwise stagnant life. He saved me from that and freed me from Father. I don't hate Father but now I have someone else to prove myself to with all my heart and soul._

"Mueller, where you want me to put this?"

"Just put it somewhere we can easily find later on."

Richard lugged two large exquisitely made bags into the tiny room fit for two. Mueller looked out the window of their room as he sighed, thinking and planning ahead yet again like always before a new contract. On the bed was Wilhelm who was just getting comfy. Richard dragged the two bags under the bed that belonged to the two older men. Though it looked like the situation from when he was with his father to when he landed with Mueller weren't legions apart, Richard felt an unspoken stream of concern pouring from Mueller.

"So Mueller, wanna hit the town to check out the ladies before meeting with the boss?"

_This is Wilhelm. Though he may seem like a perverse sex-craved lunatic, he's actually a really nice guy. He used to give me lots of candy and presents when I was younger, though each and every of them were taken away by Mueller till the end of the month. Recently he stopped giving me the presents and started to lecture me on "getting laid". I'm not sure what that means, but it doesn't sound like fun. Well, I still love both of them._

"Wilhelm, I'm astounded by how calm you feel before meeting with a very important client of ours for the first time."

"Right. Shouldn't have asked in the place, frigid prick. Shake it off once in a while, will ya?"

"Say that one more time it'd be more than a sword going up your ass!"

Mueller was short tempered as it gets. Mueller raised his hand furiously and yet nervously at the same time, though Wilhelm did not seem to falter. He was too used to Mueller's short bursts of anger and usually expected Richard to break them up and cool Mueller down, which he did.

"Mu…Mueller, there's lunch provided by the inn for us. Shall I get it for us?"

"Tch…fine. Just get…"

"…Extra pepper on the eggs and just a fork right?"

"Don't finish my sentences for me. Now get going before I teach you your manners."

Richard gave a slight giggle before closing the door behind. Being with Mueller for so long meant a chance for Richard to know more about him. Richard read Mueller like a book. He knew all his habits, right from his sleeping habits to how he sits when he's in a bad mood. He respected and loved Mueller so much as a father-figure that he could look up to. But deep down inside Richard had one big, dark secret that he hope to reveal to Mueller one day. He liked the older man, not as a father-figure, but as a person he hoped to spend the rest of his life with. The way he talked, the way he walked always somehow made Richard curl up with glee inside. To Richard, Mueller was the personification of perfection.

Richard never stopped training even with Mueller. He was exceptionally well with the sword and always won duels between his fellow brigade members. Despite his demure stature, he was as lethal as the blade he was welding. Usually people would underestimate him and take him easy and almost as usual Richard will prove them wrong and beat them to the ground. Wilhelm happened to witness one of these duels and appointed him under Mueller's personal care, taking the fact that he owed Mueller his freedom.

Richard was as skilled in handling the tray filled with a mountain of food as he was in sword-fighting. As he steadily made his up the stairs and entered the room, he saw the two men where he left them. One man was deep in military thought and the other deep in perverse thoughts. The atmosphere was so tense with thoughts, something which Richard wasn't good with. It was almost as if a pin could split his eardrums if he happened to drop one on the wooden floor. As he walked towards the tiny table between the two beds, he managed to take a glance at Mueller as he always did. Trying to read his thoughts, he found himself startled as Mueller gave a bellowing sigh. Richard jumped in shock as his hands turned into butter, dropping the food on Mueller's bed and onto himself. This resulted in Richard falling back first onto Wilhelm who was blissfully daydreaming. A huge metallic clank caused Mueller to jump a bit who turned from the window to see what was happening. Soon his troubled face contorted into his usual annoyed and furious expression.

"You damn klutz! Look what you have done! Where the hell am I going to sleep now? What are we going to eat now? Sometimes I wonder why I let you tag along with me when you can't even do the simplest of jobs! Maybe it was better if I left you with your dead father!"

The last sentence pierced Richard's heart in two. Richard knew Mueller didn't mean it as much as Richard treated it with but he couldn't help but shed a tear hearing these kinds of statements coming out from the mouth of the one he adored most. Richard was subjected to Mueller's constant forms of verbal abuse every now and then, but he didn't really mind as the rest of the brigade members were also in the same plight as him, even Wilhelm who was higher in rank than him. Whether he was sensitive to Mueller's words or not, somehow Mueller was a little bit more personal in his form of attacks to Richard than the rest. Mueller stormed out of the room, leaving Richard with the dumbfounded Wilhelm who was just in bliss a moment ago.

Wilhelm recovered rather quickly from seeing Mueller barging out of the room and came to realize Richard was on top of him. Upon closer observation, he also noticed the trickle of liquid flowing down Richard's eyes. Wilhelm smiled as he patted and stroked Richard's head.

"Don't worry about the old fart. He probably didn't mean what he said. You know him; he's as frigid as stale bread."

Hiding his emotions, Richard smiled broadly towards Wilhelm with tears still flowing down his cheeks.

_I will…no. I must keep trying to make Mueller love me._

**This is a short story I planned to write when I decided to continue with Prime. It was so spontaneous that I decided to use the track titles of Utada Hikaru's Ultra Blue album, and it looks pretty good don't you think:3**


	2. Chapter 2: This is Love

**Keep Tryin'**

All Characters are owned by Konami. I own nothing absolutely NOTHING at all and I do not hope to gain any profit from this. Set in an Alternate Universe…Sort of. All track titles from the album "ULTRA BLUE" are not owned by me too.

_Thoughts_

"Speech"

**Chapter 2: This is Love**

Normally Mueller's constant verbal abuse wouldn't affect Richard much, since he was so used to it. But somehow when it came to mentioning his father, Richard couldn't help but feel incredibly indebted to the older man. The result of this incurred so much guilt and obligation any person who knew them felt Richard was actually clinging on the Mueller solely due to the reason that he saved the boy from his abusive father, though everyone including Richard himself knew Mueller's treatment towards him was not far off from his own flesh and blood.

It was almost time for the three representatives of the Lindwurm Brigade Mercenary to meet their client. As profiled in the database, the man who hired them was a wealthy businessman from the town of Haud, famous for its strange and quirky art pieces that filled, or more suitably, littered the town. Earlier the trio was awakened by a strange brass instrument, neither a trumpet nor a trombone but something in-between. From the way it sounded, it was no wonder the trio woke up from their peaceful slumber.

"What in the world is that??!!"

"Damn just as I was in the middle of meeting a hot chick!"

"Uh…what is that?"

"Richard, do us a favor and please go and see what's making that terrible racket! I don't have enough sleep and I certainly don't need that to wake me up now!" Mueller grumbled as he rubbed the back of his head with the base of his palm with frustration and ferocity. Given no thought to the fuss from the day before, Mueller ordered Richard around as usual.

"Maybe if you didn't stay out so late yesterday you wouldn't have such a migraine." Wilheim knew Mueller stayed out of the inn ever since he shouted at Richard. It was in his personality to run away for awhile to calm his nerves down, whether he was angry with Richard or not. Being together ever since they were recruits, Wilheim knew almost everything about his partner. Wilheim observed Mueller under a microscope like a test specimen, if given a diary Wilhiem would have written in it till it wore off. That was how Wilheim was so renowned for his battle prowess. The difference between him and ordinary generals is that he somehow managed to gather all the subject's finer details and bind them into one whole range of classified opportunities to make use of them. And so he did the same with Richard everyday like clockwork not solely to find his weakness.

Richard returned back from the investigation earlier than expected. It was actually the sound of a strange musical instrument that the Haud artists created to replace the need for alarm clocks and roosters to wake them up. Apparently the rest of the town didn't mind the racket that was going on. Mueller grunted as he stormed out of the room yet again.

Richard and Wilhiem couldn't help but overhear the heated one-sided argument between the town's artists and Mueller. Crouching in fear, the artists watched helplessly as Mueller started tearing down the oddly shaped art pieces that littered the streets one after another without thinking if such an action would present any positive effect. Mueller was beyond frustrated and it began to look like he was doing it on purpose instead of displaying forced authority on the artists.

"That's enough I'm going down"

"I think its best to leave him…"

"No, I have got to drill it in that thick head of his that we're on a mission!"

Slightly taken back by Wilheim, Richard was surprised that he even bothered or remembered that they were on a mission. Usually Wilheim would do more "sightseeing", as he would put it, than helping out in the mission. Almost like a miracle Mueller got the job done most of the time even without Wilheim but seeing Wilheim talk like that it made Richard think twice about the older man.

_I guess he isn't a "bum", as Mueller might put it, after all._

Soon after Richard noticed Wilheim restraining Mueller from destroying the art pieces from the room's window. Richard could vaguely hear Wilheim screaming out, telling Mueller to stop and listen to him. Mueller did finally stop after a few minutes of struggling to get away from Wilheim's grasp with a few complimenting vulgarities and for the very first time in Richard's experience with the two older men he saw Wilheim actually looking serious. Never once he saw the two older men stand face to face in a normal and adult conversation. Usually Mueller would just nag about Wilheim's behaviour during the mission and Wilheim would promptly brush it off with a sarcastic comment or two which always succeeded in making Richard smile.

Minutes into their heated argument the two started to get closer and began hushing words into each other's faces. And almost like dynamite they began pushing each other around screaming at the top of their lungs. But due to the overpowering noises that filled Haud, Richard could barely decipher what they were saying. Very quickly after a final push from Wilheim the man walked away from the now slightly agitated maniac who was tearing down art pieces.

Curious to know what had happened, Richard straightened himself as he heard heavy and quick footsteps stomping up the stairs. Wilheim swung the door open with Mueller blocking it with his right arm with amazing reflex. The atmosphere was far too heavy for Richard to say anything, much less question them about the fuss.

"Seriously I really don't care, do what you want." Mueller shouted with anger.

"I didn't expect you to. I just thought you were man enough to help me."

"Help you with what? Seriously I don't even know why you did it in the first place."

"Even amongst us, there are secrets and there is that tiny little space of privacy that I would like to have sometimes. I don't question you about your love life, if you have any that is."

"I don't go mating around like an animal, at the very least."

"Why you…heh doesn't matter. You said you'd let me do what I want? Okay then this time I'll go for the mission."

"Fine."

"Fine."

Mueller stormed out of the room once again as he left the two of them in the room. The atmosphere, although still heavy, gradually began to thin and disperse amongst the silence in the room. Finally free from the immense pressure, Richard took a risk a raised a daring question to Wilheim.

"What…were you arguing about?"

"Hmm? Oh nothing for you to worry about kid." Wilheim went on to ruffle the boy's hair affectionately. Shocked by the action, Richard exclaimed.

"I thought you gave up doing that a long time ago?"

"Well I just had a sudden spur of nostalgia. Why? Don't like it?"

"No! I mean…it's not whether I like it or not, its whether…"

"So you don't like it?"

"No…I mean yes…I mean……I guess I'm okay with it."

As a response, Wilheim gave Richard a bellowing laugh that almost seems to shake the glass on the windows. When Richard was still very young, Wilheim had a habit of calling him "kid" and then proceeding to ruffling his hair. Wilheim was the type of man who didn't know how to display affection by hugging or kissing so he figured this was the best way for a small child like Richard to understand and sure enough this simple display of attempted affection seemed to grow on the young boy. But over the years the number of times Wilheim performed this awkward ritual dwindled and at a point of time stopped eventually when Richard turned thirteen. This was also the time Wilheim stopped giving him presents and taught him the joys of manhood, whether Richard liked it or not.

"What's so funny?"

"You never change do you? You're just where I left you when you were thirteen, innocent and naïve. Guess my manhood teachings didn't get in your head, did it?"

"I thought you weren't serious."

"Ahh…but I was. I didn't want you to end up like that old croak. No woman and no pleasure."

"I don't think I'm ready…"

"But you know what?"

"What?"

"Don't change. I like it just the way you are."

_Guess…I've got to keep trying._


	3. Chapter 3: WINGS

**Keep Tryin'**

All Characters are owned by Konami. I own nothing absolutely NOTHING at all and I do not hope to gain any profit from this. Set in an Alternate Universe…Sort of. All track titles from the album "ULTRA BLUE" are not owned by me too.

_Thoughts_

"Speech"

**Chapter 3: WINGS**

Morning came and still Mueller's portion of the room was left for the dust to settle. These momentary bursts of rage from the older man came and went like the wind but then again they could be as unpredictable. Amongst the two beds that filled most of the space in their tiny temporary abode, Richard found himself waking up in Wilhelm's part of the room. Even more alarming was the manner in which the both of them slept. On the space constrained single bed laid Wilhelm, whose arms were wrapped tightly around the smaller boy's.

Of all the years the trio had been together, Richard was never allowed to share a bed with either of them due to Mueller's harsh principles of keeping the formality of a guardian and the child under his care at a distance close enough to be observed but far enough to prevent any form of development. It was the first time he had ever been so close to anyone, even his deceased father kept a cold distance between his own flesh and blood. Unsure of what his next move should be, Richard froze at a very awkward position lying with both of his arms unable to move. His left arm was sandwiched between the bed and his body while the other was sandwiched between his and Wilhelm's body.

It was only when a cold draft from the wind coming from outside the window brushed his skin that he realized how warm Wilhelm's body made him. Observing a sleeping giant, Richard's eyes trailed Wilhelm's whole body, going as far as his position would take him. Dressed in only a white tunic and comfortable looking shorts, Richard gazed at his neck right down to his chest where it raised and collapsed with hypnotic rhythm. Richard felt a strange euphoric sensation which he could not explain. He felt as though he could stay on the bed for eternity, scrutinizing the older man's body like a map of another world, charting mountains and rivers.

Thinking about Wilhelm made Richard light headed. He carefully moved closer towards the giant, head resting on its warm and welcoming chest. Perhaps with a little too much force, this caused Wilhelm to abruptly wake up with a shock.

"Hey…you hit your head or something?"

"I'm so sorry I woke you up."

"Gah no worries. You woke me up just in time. We're headed for a mission today."

"Didn't we need to see our client?"

"The old prick did that and he made us go on the mission. Now let's go before he comes back and whine again."

Richard nodded and moved away to release himself from Wilhelm's embrace. The older man breathed nothing about their position, more like he planned it as he wore a confusing expression between an attempt to stifle a yawn and a cunning smirk. Richard usually was the first one to go to the showers, much earlier than the two of his companions. This gave him an opportunity to order and prepare breakfast for them but this time, much like yesterday, waking up early did not have much purpose since Wilhelm only ate for Richard sake and Mueller was the only one that truly needed a bite in the morning.

The events from the day before happened too monotonously for Richard to remember. All he remembered was how he and Wilhelm spent the entire day searching for Mueller, who had previously stormed out of the room in anger. Like a lost kitten in a big city, Mueller was almost impossible to find in Haud, which had complicating junctions and sidewalks which almost looked the same. Every turn they took seemed like taking a step back and not before long both of the mercenaries were dead tired from the searching. Now early in the morning, Richard still hasn't caught a glimpse of Mueller anywhere apparently Wilhelm had spoken to him the night before.

"Wilhelm, when did you see Mueller?"

"He came up to the room last night. You were sleeping so soundly he didn't want to wake you up. He gave us the job and our client's name and left as quickly as he came. Don't ask me why, I'm as clueless as you are."

"Is he alright? Did he eat at all?"

"Yeah, the old prick's definitely alright. Don't you worry a thing, someone as old as him won't die that easily."

"But Wilhelm, aren't you two the same age?"

"That, Kid, wasn't my point. Now go take a shower or something while I get breakfast. Make it snappy too."

As soon as their preparations were done, the two set out for the forest nearby. Due to the busy sea route that Haud village possesses, security there was at a somewhat higher level than other villages. The client was a wealthy businessman and the sea route meant a lot to his revenue but recently there has been a ferocious beast terrorizing the incoming merchants' caravans and it has put a temporary stop to the flow of goods. The beast was described as a giant reptile capable of swallowing caravans whole but the two knew better than to listen to rumormonger's ramblings.

"Will we be alright with just the two of us?" Richard stared at Wilhelm while the both of them entered the forest.

"Hey! Mueller's not the only muscle in this group!" Slightly outraged, Wilhelm flexed his well-developed muscles in front of him. Richard couldn't help but giggle at Wilhelm for his desire to prove himself.

Wilhelm was a rugged mercenary who has seen many terrains and situations which require him to bring out the savage part of himself. He was well suited to the dense vegetation in the forest with barely any sight of a visible footpath. But all it took was a few hard swipes of Wilhelm's sword to take down the impending branches and bushes to form a path for the both of them. Richard, on the other hand, was not trained intensively on surviving the harsh conditions of jungle warfare as he was focused too deeply in sword arts to delve into anything else. Not sure of what to expect, he stumbled a number of times on some branches on the way. Wilhelm couldn't help but let out a thunderous roar of laughter, which made Richard blush with embarrassment.

"Hey! At least I'm trying here!"

"HA! Alright, I'll give you credit for that. Anyways the monster was sighted around here, I think. Better keep on a lookout, jungleboy."

Richard gave Wilhelm a very visible pout before following him onwards. Wilhelm spotted a glance of it and tried to give the boy a smile before something else caught his attention. A roar ten times louder than Wilhelm's atrocious laugh rumbled the floor causing Richard to stumble a little. Apparently Wilhelm's laugh awoke the beast from its slumber and now it grew more and more agitated by the minute. The older man quickly yanked the boy close to him and began treading the ground with extra caution. The beast was around them but it was too well-hidden to even give an estimation of where such a behemoth could hide. All they could do was scout in all directions while walking carefully onwards.

Not before long, the two chanced upon a clearing. The light barely shined through, making the atmosphere around them gloomy with a tint of green. It had a slightly dreamy effect on the two, but they were still as cautious as ever for any sign of the giant lizard. Then suddenly a large shadowy figure comes lunging towards the duo with incredible speed for its size. It was most definitely the creature they have been searching for. The creature stood with its head to the ground and eyes fixed upon the two humans as it circled in the same cautious manner as the duo. It was bright green and adorned a colorful and flamboyant red crest around it neck. It almost looked like a salamander but two hundred times bigger.

Wilhelm, being more of a person who hits first and talks later, charged forward at the beast without hesitation. Seeing a miniscule figure dashing its way, the beast swiftly turned to it's behind and let its tail do the work. The size of the tail alone could squash Wilhelm into an unrecognizable mess but it did otherwise as it swept the comparably tiny Wilhelm off his feet and hit it hard like a baseball bat to a ball. Wilhelm rocketed in the other direction, slamming against a tree, seemingly rendering him unconscious. This act of charging towards a creature a hundred times larger than himself left the inexperienced Richard alone to go against the behemoth.

Although he was not as skilled as Wilhelm in jungle warfare and tactics, Richard was definitely up to par in his skill of wielding a weapon in his hand, more correctly, a sword. Like second nature Richard unsheathed his sword and stepped back for a defensive battle stance as the creature lumbered clumsily but swiftly towards the boy. Richard was more used to the defensive arts which required thinking and planning ahead, far in similarity to his older partner whose mindless hacking landed him in the most unfortunate state at that point of time. As the creature tried to tear Richard with its claws, Richard did the exact opposite and deflected each and every one of them.

After several more swipes and clawing, the beast finally figured out the ineffectiveness of its offense and tried something different by using the other end of its body as a weapon. Richard knew what the beast was about to do and prepared himself for a huge attempt at deflecting the beast's tail with his sword. It was a daring attempt but Richard knew of no other way at that point of time, pumped with adrenaline and clouded in a battle instinct. The tail went straight for Richard and the boy couldn't help but close his eyes, waiting for the uncertain outcome of the impact. Strangely enough, Richard felt the incoming tail was delayed and quickly opened his eyes only to see Wilhelm at the top of the creature with a sword in his hand pierced deep in the creature's hide straight for the heart. Wilhelm had killed the creature, surprisingly and jumped off it as it gave one final roar of defeat before finally dropping to the ground, dead. Wilhelm suavely smiled at Richard as he walked towards him. Richard couldn't help but worry about Wilhelm's condition even though it looked like the crash with the tree didn't affect him much.

"Are you okay, Wilhelm?"

Richard stopped in his tracks just in front of the older man, waiting for him to respond.

"That's not the way to fight it, waiting for it to hit you."

Upon finishing the sentence, Wilhelm dropped to his knees. Thankfully, Richard managed to hold him up just in time. Richard laid his head over his shoulders as he spoke.

"Don't let me worry about you again, you hear?"

"Look who's the one causing worry now."

Relived, Richard stroked the older man's pink hair, doing exactly what Wilhelm would do to him whenever he was afraid or upset when he was younger.

**So so sorry for the long delay. Somehow I had a writer's block, I guess. The last part was a little lackluster coz I finished it in a hurry, I really didn't want my readers to wait any longer. Now…for another chapter of Prime XD**


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